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What is the best time to visit the Riviera Maya

When is the best time to travel to Holbox, Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and all the other wonderful cities in Quintana Roo’s Riviera Maya?

Let’s hustle the calendar a bit and work with tourist season periods in this article. This way you get a good idea of crowds, temperatures and weather, but also of prices.

Corona virus in Playa del Carmen Mexico

Let’s start with the in-between seasons or shoulder seasons

April, just after Spring Break and May, but also November until mid-December are in-between seasons, hotels do some renovation works and the tourist numbers are lower. It is an amazing time to visit the Riviera Maya. Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum have manageable crowds, and places like Holbox and Isla Mujeres, Puerto Aventuras and Puerto Morellos may even give you a quiet beach experience.

Little to no rain, lots of fluffy clouds to cover the sometimes brutal sun and nice water temperatures make your holiday a success. Prices are reasonable and it is a great time to visit with kids.

Exceptions in these periods are Holy Week a traditional Mexican holiday week and Thanksgiving for the Americans seeking a break. Those are extremely busy weeks. If you book right around those two events, you will enjoy your beach destination to the max. If you do not like overcrowded areas with huge pool parties.

Please keep in mind that these are also the Sargasso months 

Pelicans Caribbean Sea

Low Season, very hot and humid for a reason

Low season is from June through October, Summertime in Quintana Roo. It is marked by the 30 most hot days of the year, somewhere from half July until half August. When temperatures rise easily to 40C. This is the season hotels will offer huge discount and 3-2 deals. They are the budget-friendly months for this expensive holiday destination.
It is hurricane season, and you can expect extreme weather changes, but no big storms have landed in Quintana Roo for years, most pass by heading for the USA. BRing a high sun protector, for there will be little to no clouds and it is hot and humid.

Peak Season is wintertime in Quintana Roo

Winter and early Spring, December through April (Spring Break) are top seasons in this area. With fully booked hotels and Airbnb’s pre-booked months in advance, it will be hard to find a room within short notice. Rates are sky-high and the beaches and streets are crowded.

A lot of people want to spend
Christmas and New Year or Spiring Break in Cancun or Playa del Carmen, those two places especially are packed with party people and party deals.

Temperature-wise these are the coolest months in the Riviera Maya, with the temperature dropping as low as 25C and in the night even below 20C. You need a blanket. But do bring a good sun-block, since the sun, behind the clouds, can still burn your skin. Expect more rain than in the other seasons, to refresh your holiday. But don’t worry, the sun will be out soon again.